Steve Gaines

Some people believe we should cut back on support for our military, but I disagree. I believe America needs a strong military if we are to continue enjoying God's blessing and protection.

• We must defend ourselves based on protection, not provocation.
  There is nothing unscriptural about defending and protecting one's family. Likewise, there is nothing wrong with protecting one's country, when based on a sense of protection, not provocation. Obviously we should never start a fight with a peaceful nation. But we should be prepared militarily to defend ourselves and other innocent nations around the world who are attacked and preyed upon by rogue regimes and terrorists. Nehemiah is an example of a great political and military leader. Nehemiah 4:17-18 tells how he led the Jews to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem after they had been in exile. With one hand they worked, and with the other hand they were prepared to fight.
• We must defend ourselves against enemies who hate us.
  I’m all for diplomacy as our first line of defense, but there are unreasonable nations that refuse to negotiate peacefully. Radical Islamic terrorists are a real and serious threat to American security. While it is true that most Muslims in the world are not terrorists, it is equally true that most terrorists in the world are Muslims. Fundamentalist Islamic terrorists hate western culture, America, Israel, the Jews, and democracy in general. Their hatred is seen in the attitude of the current president of Iran who has said he wants to "wipe Israel off the map." America cannot allow anything like that to happen. We also have enemies in Socialist/Communist nations like North Korea who flaunt their nuclear capabilities and dare anyone to do anything about it.
• We must help defend our allies who desperately need us.
  America must continue to bravely help protect allied nations if we want to experience God's blessing. Ask yourself: Where would England, France, and Europe be had it not been for the American military forces in World War II? Where would South Korea be had it not been for our military in the 1950s? Where would Kuwait be had it not been for our military in the early 1990s? Where would Afghanistan and Iraq be right now if not for our men and women in uniform? And where would the nation of Israel be if not for the United States of America? I’ll tell you where they'd be–in the Red Sea!
• We must defend and protect the freedoms we cherish.
  Without a strong military we could not enjoy the daily freedoms upon which this nation is built. There would be no economic trade as we know it. There would be no opportunities for education or for improving one’s station in life. Our elections would be falsified and chaotic, like the "kangaroo elections" held in many totalitarian countries. Without a strong military to defend us, the first thing our enemies would do would be to shut down the Bible-believing, Christ-honoring churches and remove their preachers from their pulpits. I thank God for the men and women in our Armed Forces, and I believe we should give them the very best training, equipment, and pay we can, as well as our positive, prayerful support.

Steve Gaines